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<\/p>\nSitting at my editor\u2019s desk recently, working on permissions for an upcoming project, I noted that the copyright year for the English translation of the Roman Missal, third edition, is 2010. When you\u2019re an editor in liturgical publishing, there\u2019s a good chance you\u2019ll look at that copyright notice a lot. For some reason, though, this was the first time that the passage of the ten-year mark struck me. Though the translation\u2019s implementation came later, it occurred to me that reaching this milestone meant that I had been working with this translation for one-third of my ministry in publishing. Definitely time for me to stop calling it the \u201cnew\u201d translation!<\/p>\n
A few weeks after this occurrence, I was serving as guest organist for a wedding. While looking around the loft\u2019s music storage area for some tape, I happened across a ten-year-old catalog of \u201cnew\u201d Mass settings from World Library Publications. (Note: I am not criticizing the presence of an old catalog in that storage room\u2014my own organizational house is definitely made of glass!)<\/p>\n
Inevitably, memories came flooding back into the midst of my 2020, a year that has been described\u2014humorously and seriously\u2014with a wide range of adjectives. Memories returned of the turmoil surrounding the translation and its implementation. I recalled that there were some who were certain the translation would drive people from the pews in droves, while others were filled with an equal amount of certitude that its language would bring numerous members back. As we know, neither prediction really came true.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Let me state clearly at this point that I am NOT seeking to re-agitate or re-litigate anything from ten years ago (or more) regarding the 2010 translation. At this anniversary point, this was more of an occasion to reflect, and an object lesson in how our work as liturgists always stands within the flow of time, not outside of it, and definitely not above it.<\/p>\n
A number of internet wags have observed that all of our \u201cwhere do you see yourself in five years\u201d answers from 2015 would definitely end up being incredibly off-base. Same as if you had asked me, in 2010, what the ten-year status of the translation would be.<\/p>\n
Along with my memories came an awareness of how incredibly changed is the sense of scale about liturgical matters, particularly in the contexts of racial tensions, further accounts of abuse in the church, divisions in church and society\u2014and especially the in the context of celebrating liturgy in a pandemic.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
My walk down memory lane caused me to do some digging back into various articles and workshops I\u2019d done surrounding the \u201cnew\u201d translation. I found an examination of conscience I\u2019d made for myself at the time, based on the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22\u201323): \u201c . . . the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.\u201d Once again, I noted that Paul writes of a single fruit, not multiple fruits; perhaps a fruit with segments, like citrus. I\u2019m finding that this examination of conscience serves me again, these ten years later:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Am I always dealing with others in a spirit of Christian love?<\/p>\n
\u2022 Do I temper everything\u2014even sadness or anger\u2014with joy?<\/p>\n
\u2022 Can I find peace in striving to do God\u2019s work?<\/p>\n
\u2022 Will I be patient with others and myself through this time?<\/p>\n
\u2022 Will kindness characterize all my communication?<\/p>\n
\u2022 Does any goodness manifest itself as sharing my time and gifts to help?<\/p>\n
\u2022 Do I remain faithful to Christ in Word and Sacrament?<\/p>\n
\u2022 Am I meeting harshness or criticism with gentleness?<\/p>\n
\u2022 Do I control my emotions when they might impede the prayer of others?<\/p>\n
As we move through these days and the days to come, let us call on the power of the Spirit to bear fruit in our lives again and again. Through the power of the Spirit we will continue to grow as disciples. Remember that, at some point, we\u2019ll likely be looking back at this point in time from another ten years down the road.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
[T]here were some who were certain the translation would drive people from the pews in droves, while others were filled with an equal amount of certitude that its language would bring numerous members back.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":63,"featured_media":52694,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[3119],"tags":[3078,3429,3397],"class_list":["post-52689","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-plaza-new-ws","tag-2010-translation","tag-fruit-of-the-spirit","tag-pandemic"],"yoast_head":"\n